Matsudaira Yasushige (松平康重)

Yasushige MATSUDAIRA (1568 - August 14, 1640) is a busho (Japanese military commander) (feudal lord) from the Azuchi-Momoyama period into the early Edo period. The lord of Kisai Domain of Musashi Province. The lord of Kasama Domain of Hitachi Province. The lord of Sasayama Domain of Tanba Province. The first lord of Kishiwada Domain of Izumi Province. The first head of the Mikawa Matsui clan.

First son of Yasuchika MATSUDAIRA (however there are theory of child of Ieyasu TOKUGAWA born out of wedlock). His mother is the daughter of Shigeyoshi MATSUDAIRA. His lawful wife is the daughter of Yasumichi ISHIKAWA, and the second wife is the daughter of Nagamasa TOKUNAGA. His children are Yasumasa MATSUDAIRA (first son), Yasuteru MATSUDAIRA (second son), Yasunori MATSUDAIRA (third son), Yasunori MATSUDAIRA (fourth son), Yasutaka MATSUDAIRA (fifth son), Yasuhisa MATSUDAIRA (seventh son), a daughter (lawful wife of Nagatsugu OGASAWARA), a daughter (lawful wife of Kinmitsu SAIONJI), a daughter (lawful wife of Yasunari MAKINO[lord of Yoita Domain]), a daughter (lawful wife of Toshitsuna MATSUDAIRA), a daughter (lawful wife of Shigeyoshi TAKENAKA), a daughter (lawful wife of Motonao OKADA), a daughter (lawful wife of Shigeyoshi NUKINA), a daughter (lawful wife of Nanigashi KAIZUKA) etc. His official court rank is Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, Suo no Kuni no Kami (Governor of Suo Province).

The common name is Jiro. Other than the name Yasushige, he was also called Yasutsugi. He served for Ieyasu TOKUGAWA together with his father. He was part of the family of the Mikawa Matsui clan, but since he received the Matsudaira name from his father's generation, Yasushige also used the name, MATSUDAIRA. Yasu' from the name Yasushige came from Ieyasu. He worked as a guard for the Numazu Castle in Suruga Province when Ieyasu was in Tokai area.

In the Battle of Nagashino, he participated in the Tobinosuyama troop with Tadatsugu SAKAI and fought hard, but he got injured by the bullet shot by the Takeda army, and it is said that this bullet was inside his body throughout the rest of his life.

Once Ieyasu got transferred to Kanto after the conquest and siege of Odawara, he received 20,000 koku (crop fields) in Kisai Domain of Musashi Province. In 1601, it was added to 30,000 koku in Kasama Domain of Hitachi Province. Then in 1608, he changed the territory with additional properties with 50,000 koku in Sasayama Domain of Tanba Province. In 1619, he changed the territory to Izumi Kishiwada Domain. On August 4, 1640, he died at the age of 73, and his second son, Yasuteru MATSUDAIRA succeeded him.

His graveyard is placed in Konkai Komyo-ji Temple in Kyoto. Hogo (Buddhist name) is 竜誉浄和. There's also a grave in the Minami-cho, Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture.

[Original Japanese]